'Blogfather,' columnist get heavy prison terms in Iran

September 28, 2010 4:36 PM ET

New York, September 28, 2010--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the government's ongoing offensive against critical journalists in Iran. A Revolutionary Court today sentenced blogger Hossein Derakhshan, left, to 19 and a half years in prison, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran quoted the Farsi news website Mashreq as saying. And on Monday, Iranian authorities informed the lawyer of Issa Saharkhiz, a prominent columnist and founding member of the Association of Iranian ‎Journalists, that he has been sentenced to three years in prison, a five-year ban on political and journalistic activities, and a one-year travel ban, the reformist news website Jonbesh-e Rah-e Sabzreported.

"We condemn the outrageously harsh
sentences given to our colleagues Hossein Derakhshan and Issa Saharkhiz and
call for their immediate release," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ Middle
East and North Africa program coordinator. "Derakhshan's two-year ordeal
has been plagued by countless violations of his rights. This heavy sentence is
the final move to silence a prominent critical voice in the international
blogging community."

Derakhshan, who is a dual
Iranian-Canadian citizen, was detained in late 2008 in connection with comments
he allegedly made about a cleric. He spent more than nine months of his
detention in solitary confinement at Tehran's Evin Prison. Known as the
"Iranian blogfather" because of his pioneering blogging, Derakhshan was charged
with "collaborating with hostile governments, creating propaganda against
the Islamic regime and propaganda in favor of anti-revolutionary groups,
blasphemy, and organizing and managing obscene and vulgar websites."
According to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, neither
Derakhshan's family nor lawyer were informed about the sentencing and only learned
of it by reading the news.

Saharkhiz was detained in July 2009
shortly following the disputed presidential elections. He has worked as a
journalist since the early 1980s, and spent 15 years reporting for the
government-run IRNA news agency. He was charged with "insulting the Supreme
Leader" and "propagating against the regime," according to Jonbesh-e
Rah-e Sabz. In May, Saharkhiz was transferred to a prison in Rajaee Shahr,
near Karaj, reformist news website Kalame reported,
where he reportedly suffered a heart attack. CPJ was unable to determine his
current state of health.

At least 37 journalists remained behind
bars in Iran as of June 1, according to CPJ's last census
of imprisoned journalists.

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